Sent to all federal PIs, research associate deans, other academic leaders, and central and departmental research administrators.
Dear Research Colleagues,
Over the past month, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have issued awards to the University of Minnesota that contain new certifications with references to compliance with Executive Orders. The new certification language is unclear as to its meaning, requiring additional consideration by senior leadership.
University leadership and the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) are reviewing the language in the certifications due to our legal obligation to make the certifications in good faith. Until we receive this guidance, Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) must temporarily hold the setup of any new awards or any additional funds on existing awards.
Existing NIH projects anticipating another year of continuation funding remain open in our financial system for spending for 90 days, and you may continue to spend at the risk of the department and/or college, per standard UMN procedure. Spending is, and will be, officially authorized when the UMN NOGA is distributed for the impacted time period.
We understand that these award setup delays have been frustrating for affected PIs. We appreciate your patience as we work to ensure that our processes align with University guidance, and we will resume award setup and spending authorization as soon as possible.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to David Hagen at [email protected].
Please continue to visit our SPA Federal Executive Orders and Other Policy Directives website for the most up-to-date guidance.
Sincerely,
April Coon, Director, Sponsored Projects Administration
David Hagen, Director, Office of Cost Analysis